Wednesday 14th October to Friday 30th October

Site Sale

Your community nature reserve is being sold - agent's details here.

Please see the update to our petition here, and sign & share our petition to Hanson.

We have reached out to our partners and supporters, and are currently deciding our next move. In the meantime, please keep promoting the petition.

Some great coverage in the Farnham Herald here.

 

Pin Badges

Our new pin badges are now available to buy.

Four new designs: Bullfinch, Common Tern, Green Sandpiper & Reed Bunting.

£5 each (+ £1 p&p per 4 badges). Limited to 100 per design. All details below.

Please email ticesmeadowshop@gmail.com to place an order.

Wednesday 14th October

Dina Burford: 26 Lapwing.

(c) Dina Burford - Red Kite

Thursday 15th October

Karen McCormack: Green Sandpiper & Snipe.

(c) Dina Burford - Woodland Track

 

Friday 16th October

(c) Gillian Bamford - Coot

(c) Gillian Bamford - Great Crested Grebe

 

Saturday 17th October

Murray Nurse: Great White Egret.

Hillary MacBean: Common Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpiper, 6 Snipe, 9 Swallow, 40 Redwing, 70 Fieldfare, Lesser Redpoll & 8 Siskin.

Team Tice's, led by Hillary MacBean, entered BirdLife International's Global Bird Weekend today, recording 61 bird species.

Dina Burford: Purple Brittlegill (Russula atropurpurea) & Scarlet Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea) - new for site.

(c) Dina Burford - Great White Egret

(c) Melanie Nicholls - Common Darter

 

Sunday 18th October

Mark Elsoffer: Great White Egret, Little Egret, 23 Lapwing, 6 Snipe, Dartford Warbler, 5 Stonechat & 5 Lesser Redpoll.

12th site record of Dartford Warbler, last recorded 15/08/20.

(c) Dina Burford - Great White Egret

 

(c) Simon Monk - Egyptian Geese

Monday 19th October

(c) Colin Varndell - Moody Skies

(c) Colin Varndell - Autumnal Colours

 

Tuesday 20th October

John Hunt: Green Sandpiper, 24 Lapwing, 19 Teal, 15 Shoveler, 14 Wigeon & Peregrine.

Richard Horton: Caspian Gull (3rd wtr).

12th site record of Caspian Gull, last recorded 28/12/19. 144th bird species recorded on site in 2020.

(c) Dina Burford - Common Darter

 

Wednesday 21st October

Sean Foote: Green Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, 14 Snipe, 32 Lapwing, 39 Shoveler, 44 Wigeon, Yellow-legged Gull & Blackcap.

Sean Foote identified the following new species for site:

• Fragile Brittlegill (Russula fragilis),
• Sepia Webcap (Cortinarius decipiens),
• Crested Coral (Clavulina coralloides),
• Sulphur Knight (Tricholoma sulphureum),
• White Fibrecap (Inocybe geophylla),
• Fiery-haired Weeping Widow (Lacrymaria pyrotricha).

 

Thursday 22nd October

(c) Colin Varndell - Buzzard

(c) Colin Varndell - Kestrel

 

Friday 23rd October

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, 52 Lapwing, 8 Snipe, 125 Fieldfare, 80 Redwing & 8 Stonechat.

Mark Elsoffer, Jort Brough & Richard Horton: Cetti's Warbler.

4th site record of Cetti's Warbler, last recorded 31/08/20.

Dina Burford: A Slime Mould (Badhamia utricularis) - new species for site.

(c) Dina Burford - Swan Being Rescued

(c) Dina Burford - Badhamia utricularis

 

Saturday 24th October

Dina Burford: Green Sandpiper.

 

Sunday 25th October

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, 51 Lapwing, 8 Snipe & Little Grebe.

Richard Horton: 3 Raven.

Dave Baker: Lesser Redpoll.

S Brownhill: Crossbill.

After heavy rain overnight, the River Blackwater burst its banks again this morning, for the second time this month. 

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Flooded Track

(c) Dina Burford - Bruce

(c) Dina Burford - Red Kite

 

Monday 26th October

Dina Burford: Grey Wagtail.

A huge thanks to Ray for (once again) clearing a section of the River Blackwater. Both Hanson and the Environment Agency refuse to maintain the river channel, despite it being a legal requirement - in fact, the Environment Agency refuse to even admit the channel is there, even though they helped move it!

(c) Colin Varndell - Ray Hard at Work

(c) Colin Varndell - Cleared River Blackwater

 

Tuesday 27th October

Dina Burford: Grey Wagtail. 

(c) Dina Burford - Spindle

 

Wednesday 28th October

Jon Jordan: Ring Ouzel.

Leonard Winchcombe: Curlew.

7th site record of Ring Ouzel, last recorded 15/10/19. 145th bird species recorded on site in 2020. 

Dina Burford: Coral Spot (Nectria cinnabarina) - new species for site.

(c) Dina Burford - Rainy Day

 

Thursday 29th October

No reports.

Friday 30th October

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, 12 Snipe, Jack Snipe & 52 Lapwing.

Richard Horton: 2 Yellow-legged Gull.

Leonard Winchcombe: 8 Siskin.

Jack Snipe is the 146th bird species recorded on site this year.

(c) Dina Burford - Red Kite

Thursday 24th September to Tuesday 13th October

Site Sale

Your community nature reserve is being sold - agent's details here.

Please see the update to our petition here, and sign & share our petition to Hanson.

We have reached out to our partners and supporters, and are currently deciding our next move. In the meantime, please keep promoting the petition.

 

Pin Badges

Our new pin badges are now available to buy.

Four new designs: Bullfinch, Common Tern, Green Sandpiper & Reed Bunting.

£5 each (+ £1 p&p per 4 badges).

Limited to 100 per design. All details below.

Please email ticesmeadowshop@gmail.com to place an order.

Thursday 24th September

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Common Sandpiper, 4 Snipe, Little Egret, 7 Wigeon, 750+ House Martin, 30+ Swallow, Peregrine & 2 Hobby.

 

(c) Kev Campbell - Hobby

(c) Kev Campbell - Buzzard

(c) Kev Campbell - Kestrel

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Peregrine

 

 

Friday 25th September

Mark Elsoffer: 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Snipe, 4 Wigeon, c300 House Martin, 6 Sand Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Merlin (f), Peregrine & 2 Hobby. 

 

17th site record of Merlin, last recorded 25/02/20.

The pupils from Badshot Lea Village Infants School visited site this afternoon.

(c) Badshot Lea Village Infants School

 

 

Saturday 26th September

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, Shelduck, 7 Wigeon, 400 House Martin, 10 Sand Martin, 20 Swallow, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Hobby & 2 Peregrine.

 

Richard Seargent: Dunlin. 

Mark Elsoffer & Richard Seargent: Short-eared Owl.

 

5th site record of Short-eared Owl & 141st bird species recorded on site this year. Last reported 25/10/15. 

 

We had a quick work party this morning where we cut down the hops behind the shelter and laid down plastic sheeting on Bells Piece (to kill the grass). 

 

(c) Michael Edwards - Short-eared Owl

(c) Michael Edwards - Short-eared Owl

(c) Michael Edwards - Short-eared Owl

(c) Jonathan Durham - Mute Swan

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Volunteers at Work

 

 

Sunday 27th September

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, 4 Snipe, 3 Wigeon, 4 Little Grebe & 8 House Martin.

Jort Brough: Hobby.

 

Visitor: 3-6 Lesser Redpoll.

 

Dina Burford: Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum) - new species for site.

 

The nature reserve has become a haven for many local families during a difficult year. Great to receive this card from Lily today - one of the youngest members of the TMBG, and a budding birdwatcher.

 

(c) Dina Burford - Lily's Card

(c) Dina Burford - Lily's Card

(c) Dina Burford - Great Crested Grebe

 

Monday 28th September

Dina Burford: Common Sandpiper & Little Grebe.

 

Oli Sausage: Zebra Finch (escape).

Thanks to the team from BVCP who sowed 3 areas of the Meadow with locally sourced wet meadow species yesterday. They also planted 150 Common Knapweed, Birds-foot Trefoil and Devils-bit Scabious - plants that Steve Bailey had very kindly grown for us at home.

 

Steve Bailey also found a new species for site yesterday: Needle Spike-rush (Eleocharis acicularis). This species is "very rare & declining" in Surrey, & is the 1,500th species of wildlife recorded at Tice's Meadow Nature Reserve!

 

(c) Richard Bavin - The Hide

(c) Dina Burford - Stonechat

 

Tuesday 29th September

Jort Brough: Raven.

 

Dina Burford: 2 Snipe.

 

Malcolm Fincham: Pintail (f).

18th site record of Pintail, last recorded 23/09/20.

Clouded Yellow in the Bike Field.

Dina Burford found the following new species for site:

• Turnip (Brassica Rapa)
• Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
• Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina)

 

Wednesday 30th September

(c) Dina Burford - Great Crested Grebe

 

Thursday 1st October

John Hunt: Common Sandpiper, 11 Teal, 7 Gadwall, 4 Wigeon, 6 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, 2 Stonechat, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Reed Bunting & Grey Wagtail.

 

Mark Elsoffer: 3 Snipe, 12 Lapwing, 2 Little Grebe, 80+ House Martin & 2 Peregrine.

 

Dina Burford: Little Egret.

 

Jort Brough: Dunlin. 

(c) John Hunt - Wasp's Nest

Friday 2nd October

No reports.

 

Saturday 3rd October

Jort Brough: Common Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper, 35 Lapwing, 20+ Snipe, 4 Sand Martin, 100+ House Martin, 15 Swallow, 20+ Meadow Pipit, 4 Stonechat & Short-eared Owl.

 

Richard Horton: Yellow Wagtail. 

 

Dina Burford: Little Grebe. 

 

6th site record of Short-eared Owl, but 2nd in past week. 

Latest recorded Yellow Wagtail on site by 5 days.

 

Dina Burford: Common Orange Lichen (Xanthoria parietina) - new species for site.

Following 42mm of rain in the past 24 hours, the River Blackwater burst its banks near the feeding station, flooded the track, and ran through the scrub into the ditch behind Horton's Mound. We have never seen the river rise that high and fast. The fact that Hanson and the Environment Agency both refuse to acknowledge responsibility for maintaining it has been raised multiple times to the Site Aftercare Committee, but to no avail.

(c) Jort Brough - Flooding

(c) Jort Brough - Flooding

(c) Dina Burford - Floods

(c) Dina Burford - Floods

(c) Dina Burford - Floods

 

 

Sunday 4th October

Richard Seargent: 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Green Sandpiper, Redwing, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow & Swift.

 

Latest Swift recorded on site by 22 days, latest Sand Martin by 3 days, and earliest returning Redwing by 2 days.

 

(c) Mark Wood - Floods

(c) Mark Wood - Floods

(c) Mark Wood - Floods

 

Monday 5th October

Sean Foote: Common Sandpiper, 5 Green Sandpiper, 2 Lesser Redpoll, Firecrest, probable Little Bunting & Hobby.

 

Should the record be accepted by the Surrey Bird Club, Little Bunting will be a new species for site, and the 198th bird species recorded on site. 

10th site record of Firecrest & 142nd bird species recorded on site this year. Last reported 09/04/19. 

 

Sean Foote recorded the following new species for site today:

• Pelargonium Webcap (Cortinarius flexipes),
• Blueing Bracket (Postia subcaesia),
• Mouse-tail Moss (Isothecuim myosuroides),
• Common Feather-moss (Kindbergia praelonga),
• Wood Bristle-moss (Orthotrichum affine),
• Ash Key Gall Mite (Aceria fraxinivora).

(c) Jonathan Durham - Cormorant

Tuesday 6th October

Clouded Yellow on Horton's Mound. 

 

 

Wednesday 7th October

Jort Brough: 2 Snipe, Kingfisher, 2 Swallow & 20 House Martin.

 

Richard Horton: Marsh Tit.

 

First site record of Marsh Tit. 198th bird species recorded on site, and 143rd bird species recorded on site this year. 

 

(c) Dina Burford - Migrant Hawker

 

 

Thursday 8th October

Mark Elsoffer: Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, 7 Snipe, Grey Wagtail, 3 Stonechat & 250 House Martin.

(c) Dina Burford - Spindle

 

 

Friday 9th October

Richard Horton: Hobby.

 

Peter Brown: Common Sandpiper & Kingfisher.

 

Latest recorded Hobby on site by 1 day. 

 

Saturday 10th October

John Hunt: 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Red Kite, Kestrel & Peregrine.

Jort Brough: 4 Swallow, 3 House Martin & Sand Martin.

 

Richard Horton: Spoonbill.

 

6th site record of Spoonbill. Last reported 22/05/20.

Latest recorded Sand Martin on site by 9 days.

Richard Seargent led 19 scouts from Farnborough around site today.

 

(c) Richard Bavin - Double Rainbow

 

 

Sunday 11th October

Mark Elsoffer: Green Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail, Redwing,

Leonard Winchcombe: Pheasant.

 

Peter Brown: Snipe. 

Phil Hughes: House Martin.

 

Clouded Yellow butterfly on Horton's Mound.

 

We had the pleasure of hosting two six-person walks for the Surrey Bird Club this morning. 

(c) Dina Burford - Stonechat

(c) Mark Elsoffer - Surrey Bird Club Walk

Monday 12th October

John Hunt: 9 Lapwing, Snipe, Little Egret, 17 Teal, 10 Wigeon, 22 Shoveler, 3 Pochard, 6 Gadwall, 30 Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, 4 Chiffchaff, Blackcap & 600+ Redwing.

Dina Burford: Pheasant.

Dina Burford: Bolete Eater (Hypomyces chrysospermus) - new species for site.

(c) Dina Burford - Stonechat

 

 

Tuesday 13th October

Sean Foote: 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Snipe, Mandarin (f), Crossbill, 5 Lesser Redpoll, 600 Redwing, 100 Fieldfare (first returning birds of winter), 4 House Martin & Swallow.

Peter Brown: Treecreeper, Grey Wagtail & Peregrine.

6th site record of Mandarin, last reported 04/04/20.